Welcome to the Sir Isaac Newton Frequently Asked Questions page. If upon viewing this page you have further questions or concerns please don't hesitate to reach out to our system administrator for more information.
General Information
What is the Sir Isaac Newton exam?
The Sir Isaac Newton (often abbreviated SIN) Exam is a high school physics contest organized by the Department of Physics & Astronomy at the University of Waterloo. It is designed to be both challenging and fun, often incorporating political and topical humor.
The exam has been running for many decades and will be running for many decades more.
The exam is more than anything fun. If you have any doubts about whether participating is right for you, it is!
Who can participate in the SIN exam?
Anyone!
Students from Canada, the USA and across the world are welcome to write the SIN exam. There is no restriction placed on geographical locations, as the exam is administered online.
I'm not sure if I can participate.
You can! The SIN exam is recommended as a high school examination and the questions are at a difficulty one would see in their first year of a Physics Undergraduate degree at the University of Waterloo so the difficulty can be quite high. A grade 11/12 physics background will be helpful to answer the questions.
However, we welcome anyone who is interested in trying to participate, to do so. If you are not in grade 11 or 12 you can still write the exam. Participation in multiple years is encouraged.
Can I participate in the SIN exam more than once?
Yes! It doesn't matter if you have written a previous years SIN exam as the questions change every year.
Is there more practice questions available?
There are practice questions found on the site here.
If you would like more practice problems you can buy a digital copy of A Decade of SIN + 16 from the University bookstore here. The book contains hundreds of extra practice problems and their solutions.
Is the SIN Exam mandatory for university admission?
No, the exam is purely for fun and does not impact university admissions. However, students who submit formal solutions may be eligible for a scholarship.
If I write the SIN exam will university admissions be able to see my score?
No, the exam is unavailable to university admissions. However, if you receive a high score on the exam, mentioning it in the additional information form of your application can't hurt.
A poor score will not negatively affect your admission chances.
What scholarships & prizes are available?
For more information regarding scholarships and prizes click here.
Registration & Participation
How do I register for the SIN exam?
Registration for the SIN exam can be found underneath the Registration heading. This is the only way to register for the SIN exam at this time.
If you are having any issues with the form please contact the system administrator.
When does registration for the SIN exam open/close?
The specific dates for the registration opening and closing change year-to-year. Typically the dates are as follows:
Open: Mid-march annually (for the 2025 SIN exam, registration will likely open in March 2025)
Close: Late April annually (for the 2025 SIN exam, registration closes April 24th, 2025)
Why is the registration form closed?
If the registration form is unavailable to you, the registration window is currently closed. If you believe this to be an error please contact the system administrator.
I am a Teacher/Supervisor/etc..., how do I register for the SIN exam?
See the following answer above.
As a teacher you must complete the registration on behalf of your students. You do not need to know the specific number of students writing the exam, when completing the registration select an approximate number of exams. Estimate high there is no penalty for unwritten exams.
Further required information will be supplied on the form.
I am a Student, how do I register for the SIN exam?
As a student the only way to register for the SIN exam is to have a teacher (or other supervisory adult) register on your behalf.
If your school does not currently write the Sir Isaac Newton exam, try pushing for an initiative to have it instated at your school, there is no cost!
If your school is not open to participating in the SIN exam you may participate at another participating school or location.
I am a home-schooled Student, can I still register to participate?
Contact the system administrator for more information.
What is the cost to register?
Nothing! The SIN exam is 100% free to all participants.
How is the exam administrated?
More detailed information will be provided upon registration, but the basics are as follows:
- The exam is written online
- Students may write the exam on a personal laptop or on a school administered laptop/computer.
- The exam is scheduled for one day in May. You may write the exam at any time within a 2 hour time frame on the designated day.
When will I receive my login information?
Registered teachers will receive login credentials on the Monday of the exam week. Old user IDs and passwords are obsolete, so new credentials must be used.
I am a student, how do I get my login information?
As a student, your teacher/exam administrator will provide your login information.
There are a variety of methods to do this but the most common are via email or a direct printout with a user name and password.
Scoring & Results
How are exams scored?
Exams are automatically graded by our online system. Points are awarded for correct answers and subtracted for incorrect answers.
Specific scaling will be available on the exam date.
Are solutions manually graded?
Yes, scanned copies of students' solutions may be requested via email for hand marking if a students raw electronically marked score is high enough.
When will I receive my results?
Administrators will do their best to ensure the results of the exam are received within a few weeks of writing.
If you believe an adequate amount of time has passed without receiving results please reach out to your teacher, or have your teacher reach out to the system administrator.
I think there was a mistake in a question/answer/my score, what can I do?
If you believe there was an error in the descriptions or answers to a question, or that there was a mistake in the grading of your work please reach out to the system administrator. We would be happy to work through the issue with you.